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012-8727

1.Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (EVIP)
a.What should the government tie the EV purchase incentives to (e.g., vehicle tailpipe GHG emissions, battery size, technology type, etc.) in order to support a significant growth in EV sales and GHG emissions reductions?
Tying incentives to battery size seems appropriate, as it is tied to both potential added financial cost (batteries are a big piece of elevated cost) and environmental benefit (more range equates to more potential electric distance driven).

b.How should the government adjust the current 30 per cent Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) incentive cap and the $3000 cap on vehicles with an MSRP greater than $75,000 in order to promote EV sales and GHG emission reductions in a fiscally responsible manner (e.g. remove the cap? Relax the cap)?
Any movement to increase incentives will help to increase the adoption of EV’s in Ontario. However, in order to make significant gains in EV ownership, customers must see a significant financial advantage over the length of time that they own an EV vehicle than current fossil fuel products (i.e. the purchase price and increased incentives must be benchmarked so that the life cycle cost of the EV will be less than current lifecycle products).

We believe better education about the benefits of EVs to the public, the creation of larger incentives by government, the installation of a larger public and workplace charging network and an increase motivation on the part of dealerships will lead to greater adoption.

c.Do you think these caps influence an EV buyer’s decision to purchase an EV or a specific type of EV?
Definitely, price is one of the major motivating factors in deciding on a purchase of an EV. Larger incentives will contribute to the success of adopting to EV’s.

d.How can the government adjust the Electric Vehicle Charging Incentive Program (EVCIP) to benefit even more EV owners?
Tie additional incentives into GHG emission savings such as an additional cash incentive over the life of the vehicle based on kilometers driven using annual licence plate renewal information. Every km driven saves GHG emissions.

Provide incentives to developers (commercial, residential, retail, industrial) to install EV charging stations within new developments. Provide incentives to existing building owners to install EV infrastructure.

2.Electric Vehicle Chargers Ontario Program (EVCO)
a.What program features (e.g., eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, technical requirements) should be considered in a program to deploy charging stations at workplaces, multi-unit residential buildings, downtowns and town centres?
Criteria should consider the following:
-Network distribution filling in gaps between stations
-Location of amenities/attractors – (i.e. is there a reason for EV owners to be there for an extended period or to justify the value of the initial/ongoing investment based on expected use?)
-For locations of Level 3 chargers - confirmation of contact with LDC to confirm capacity.

b.Specifically for multi-residential and workplaces:
Who are best positioned to implement the installation of charging stations?
In many cases these charging stations installations are challenging because the users/beneficiaries are tenants and therefore not responsible for/able to make capital investments. Hence, third party organizations experienced in building collaborative relationships could be a beneficial agent (i.e., Sustainable Waterloo Region). In addition, changes to the planning policies that include required EV stations would be benefit.

How should funding for charging stations be structured and/or capped? What value(s) of cap(s) should be applied?
To ensure ongoing support and a one-time only investment from the province, the current EVCO model is supported– capital costs covered through the program. On-going operating costs are covered by the owner, but changes to the program should include operating cost rebates based on useage.

How can government best engage workplaces, condos and apartment boards to participate in the EVCO program?
Providing incentives to existing owners. Leveraging existing networks and organizations who are well positioned to engaged within and beyond the EV market (i.e., Sustainable Waterloo Region, ClimateActionWR, TravelWise – TMA)

c.How should government ensure that Local Distribution Companies are involved in EVCO applications?
Delivery in partnership with LDCs and community partners(i.e., LDC awareness/input embedded). Another option would be to require LDC consultation for any future applications.

d.What aspects of the first round of EVCO do you feel should be repeated or done differently?
The public call for community proposals was great, though in Waterloo Region a significant amount of effort went into a multi-stakeholder collaborative approach and none were selected. This kind of thing is going to make it tougher in the future to leverage these valuable partnerships.

3.Education and Awareness
EV Educational Campaigns
What are your current perceptions related to EVs? How can government help in improving perceptions related to EVs, and help consumers better understand the benefits of EVs?
Government can help by leveraging existing local partnerships to get people and organizations exposed to EVs and experiencing driving EVs. In Waterloo Region we have had great success with EV test drive days held in partnership between local dealerships, businesses, and a lead non-profit organization. These are tough to do in meaningful quantity when entirely volunteer driven, with no budget.

Range-anxiety is a concern for many consumers. A larger EV charging station network will appease the typical commuter. However in order to gain main stream acceptance to the masses technological advances in battery size or very fast charging systems (1-2 minutes) will be required to provide distances of 500 km or greater. The general public is unlikely to sacrifice time for minimal savings.

What innovative education and/or awareness programs or policies, currently operating in other jurisdictions that provide support for the adoption of EVs, could be applied in Ontario?
See above.

Who should the government be partnering and collaborating with to deliver an EV educational campaign?
We are supportive of the Province’s efforts to institute increased use of EVs. Kitchener has a supportive policy framework in place and we are taking steps to require new development to incorporate infrastructure for charging stations.

Local non-profit organizations with existing community and business networks as well as experience delivering EV programming (i.e., Sustainable Waterloo Region).

To increase education and awareness of the benefits of EVs, what forms of communication and key messages should the government consider to reach an audience beyond the EV community?
Align with the ‘cool tech’ and ‘fun to drive’ messages along with the ‘environmental’ benefits, and get more people into EVs (test drive events).

Partner and Dealership Programs
What are potential tools that can be used to increase the availability of EV models on the showroom floor, for test drives and for purchase at dealerships?
Investment in local, collaborative efforts (education/awareness events that engage dealers publically) will increase attention & demand, justifying added investment from dealers.

What supportive mechanisms and/or incentives should the government provide to EV salespeople and dealerships in order to increase EV sales?
Training and supportive sales materials.

Private Fleet Awareness Campaign
How can we effectively raise awareness of EVs and EV incentives to private fleets?
Invest in local networks and champions, and run business-focused events that showcase the benefits of EVs and offer the opportunity to experience driving an EV. In Kitchener, these have been run in the past and as a result created many knowledgeable champions in Waterloo Region within multiple different organizations – this pays off when considering charging infrastructure and fleet opportunities.
What elements should be included in a decision-making tool or cost calculator to help fleets consider purchasing an EV?
Life cycle cost ($) and impact (GHG).

[Original Comment ID: 196575]